As electronic devices move toward operation at faster data rates, the electrical interfaces on these devices along with the electrical transmission cables will reach their bandwidth capacity limitations. Additionally, electronic devices are trending toward having smaller and thinner footprints. Optical fibers have displaced copper-based connectivity in much of the traditional long-haul and metro telecommunication networks for numerous reasons, such as large bandwidth capacity, dielectric characteristics, and the like. As consumers require more bandwidth for consumer electronic devices, such as smart phones, laptops, and tablets as examples, optical fibers and optical ports for optical signal transmission are being considered for replacing the conventional copper-based connectivity for these applications. Benefits of optical fiber include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation.
In this regard, fiber optic plug connectors and fiber optic receptacle connectors (hereinafter “fiber optic plugs” and “fiber optic receptacles,” respectively) can be provided to facilitate optical connections in electronic devices with optical fibers for the transfer of light. For example, optical fibers disposed in a fiber optic plug can be optically connected to optical fibers of a fiber optic receptacle disposed in an electronic device for providing an optical connection to the electronic device. To maintain a small form factor of the device, the components used for the fiber optic plug and fiber optic receptacle should be as compact as possible, while maintaining sufficient strength to prevent damage during normal use.
In addition, proper optical alignment of the optical elements within the fiber optic plug and with respect to the receptacle is required to avoid optical signal attenuation. If the optical fibers in a fiber optic plug are not properly aligned with an optical interface such as a ferrule and/or lens element, portions of the optical signals may be lost. Likewise, if the optical interface of the plug is not properly aligned with the fiber optic receptacle, additional optical attenuation may also occur. Thus, optical alignment throughout the plug and receptacle assemblies is required to maintain a strong and accurate optical signal.